Pasteur Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology, Saint Petersburg

Pasteur Institute of Epidemiology and Microbiology was originally established in St. Petersburg as the Bacteriological and Disgnostic Institute in 1923. Today, the Institute maintains the leading position in Russia regarding the research on a number of issues of etiology, epidemiology and microbiology of topical infections.
The Institute comprises several laboratories and departments. For example, the Intestinal Infections Laboratory (Head – L.A. Kaftyreva) prioritizes research on enterobacteria (pathogens shigellosis, salmonellosis, campylobacteriosis and heliobacteriosis). Zooanthroponosis Laboratory researches the issue of natural focal infections (Head - K.N. Tokarevich). Laboratory of Etiology and Prevention of Viral Infections studies influenza (supervisor – M.A. Bichurina). The Regional Center for the Prevention and Control of AIDS focuses on HIV infection and AIDS research (Head – T.T. Smolskaya). The Regional Center for Surveillance of Viral Hepatitis studies the issue of viral hepatitis (Head – S.L. Mukomolov). The Laboratory of Bacterial Respiratory Infections studies diphtheria (Head – G.Y. Tseneva). The Laboratory of Molecular Microbiology carries out in-depth studies of bacterial and viral agents using modern methods of molecular marking and genotyping of pathogens (Head – O. V. Narvskaya). The Institute also continues its active information-publishing activities: the Information Department (Head - Seagull NA) has translated and published materials of the World Health Organization regarding diphtheria, polio, AIDS, viral hepatitis, tuberculosis and other topical infections.
Additionally, the research continues in the field of vaccinology. The Laboratory of children viral infections has completed its laboratory work on creation of the national rubella vaccine based on the reconstituted vaccine strain "Orlov" (Head – I.N. Lavrenteva). The scientific results in the field of biotechnology were applied in numerous drugs used in particular diagnosis of infectious diseases. During the last 10 years, the scientists of the Institute have created more than 100 modern test systems for the diagnosis and monitoring of infectious diseases.
The institute has been actively working on clinical trials for prevention and treatment of infectious diseases. Most recently, the Institute has been developing new forms of interaction with the Sanitary Epidemiological Service. Additionally, the Testing Laboratory Centre with expertise on a wide range of goods and services was accredited on the premises of the Institute.
The Institute actively participates in scientific contacts and joint projects with scientists from France, Finland, the UK, Sweden, USA and other countries. In 1993, the Institute was accepted as the competent member of the international association of Pasteur Institutes across the globe. The Institute uses diversified international cooperation not only for the purposes of theoretical studies development, but also for dissemination of modern technologies for communicable diseases’ control and surveillance, in other words – to aid the efforts of Sanitary inspection and to ensure national health.